Glossary
-
TermDefinition
- General Nautical Terminology Baby StayAn inner forestay
- General Nautical Terminology Back
Back (backing) describes the wind’s change in direction when it shifts counterclockwise (anti-clockwise). For example, if the wind shifts from...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Back
To back a sail means to adjust it so that the wind blows on the opposite side from normal, causing the sail to push the boat in the opposite...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Back StayThe backstay runs from the top of the mast to the stern of the vessel. The backstay supports the mast and in some cases can be adjusted to change... More Details
- General Nautical Terminology BailTo remove water from the bilges or cockpit
- General Nautical Terminology BailerA utensil used to bail water out of a boat
- General Nautical Terminology, Weather (Meteorology) Bailey
Sea area of the Met Office Shipping Forecast. Lies off northern Scotland near Bill Bailey’s Bank and the Orkney Islands.
Named for Bill Bailey’s...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Ball
A spherical shape or object used as a day signal to indicate a vessel's status or condition, such as being anchored or aground.
In maritime...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology BallastAdditional weight placed low in the hull to improve stability
- General Nautical Terminology BarA shallow area (shoal) close by a river mouth or harbour entrance or A measure of barometric pressure usually noted as 1000 millibars
- General Nautical Terminology Barber Hauler
A line or tackle system used to adjust the angle of a jib or genoa sheet to optimise sail shape and performance, particularly when sailing off...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Bare PolesNo sails are set and boat is driven by the force of the wind on the spars and rigging
- Courses, RYA Basic Sea Survival CertificateThe Basic Sea Survival Certificate course teaches life-saving techniques for emergencies at sea. Participants learn how to use life rafts, don... More Details
- General Nautical Terminology Bathing Platform
A bathing platform is a purpose-built area that sits at water level when the vessel is stopped. It allows easy access to and from the water. It...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Batten
A thin, flat strip of wood, plastic, or fibreglass inserted into a sail to help maintain its shape and improve performance
A batten is an...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Batten Pocket
A reinforced sleeve sewn into a sail to hold a batten, which helps maintain the sail's shape.
A batten pocket is an essential feature of many...
More Details - Flag / Pennant, Signals & Communication Code Flag Bravo (B)
The International Maritime Signal Flag Bravo.
Meaning
I am taking in or discharging or carrying dangerous goods.
- General Nautical Terminology BeachTo run a vessel ashore deliberately
- General Nautical Terminology Beacon
A fixed or floating signal, often a light or radio transmitter, used to guide mariners or mark hazards in navigable waters.
A beacon is an...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Parts of a Boat Beam
The widest part of a vessel, measured at its broadest point across the hull.The term beam is a fundamental concept in nautical terminology,...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Beam Reach
The point of sail where the wind is coming from directly abeam, or at a right angle to the boat's centreline.
A beam reach is one of the most...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Bear AwayTo alter course away from the wind
- General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Bearing
The direction or angle between a reference point, typically true north, and an object or destination, usually expressed in degrees.
A bearing...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Bearing to Waypoint (BTW)
The direction from a vessel's current position to a predetermined navigational point or waypoint.
In marine navigation, Bearing to Waypoint is...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology BeatingSailing towards the wind with the sails hauled in tight
- General Nautical Terminology, Weather (Meteorology) Beaufort Scale
A scale used for estimating and reporting wind speeds based on observed sea conditions.
British Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort developed it in...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Below Deck
Below deck refers to the interior spaces of a vessel located beneath the main deck or upper deck. These areas typically include crew quarters,...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Bermudan Rig
A type of sail plan characterised by a triangular mainsail set aft of the mast, with the mast typically taller than the length of the boat.
A...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology BerthA place where a vessel can be tied up; A sleeping place on a vessel; To give an obstruction wide clearance by keeping well clear
- General Nautical Terminology Bi-colour LightCombined red (port) and green (starboard) light positioned on the bow
- General Nautical Terminology Bight
A loop created in the standing part of a rope.
- General Nautical Terminology Bilge PumpUsed to empty unwanted water from the vessel. Can be automatic, manual and mobile and are usually positioned to collect the water from the lowest... More Details
- General Nautical Terminology BilgesThe compartment at the bottom of the hull of a ship or boat where water collects and must be pumped out of the vessel.
- General Nautical Terminology Bimini
A canvas or fabric top supported by a metal frame, typically found on boats to provide shade and protection from the sun.
A Bimini is a...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology BinnacleThe stand on which the ship's compass is mounted, usually in front of the wheel. May also carry navigation instruments.
- General Nautical Terminology, Weather (Meteorology) Biscay
Sea area of the Met Office Shipping Forecast. Covers the Bay of Biscay, off the west coast of France and north coast of Spain.
Covering the Bay...
More Details - Flag Semaphore, Signals & Communication Letter B (Flag Semaphore)
This shape represents the Letter B (Flag Semaphore) and the Number 2 (Flag Semaphore).
- Morse Code, Signals & Communication Letter B (Morse Code)
International Morse Code sequence representing the letter B.
- General Nautical Terminology Block
A type of pulley system used to change the direction of a line, rope, or cable on a boat. Blocks consist of one or more grooved wheels, called...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Boat HookA pole with a hook on the end, used to reach into the water to catch buoys or other floating objects.
- General Nautical Terminology Boat WindJust like running down the road or cycling downhill you will feel the wind on your face; boat wind is just the same. As the boat moves through the... More Details
- General Nautical Terminology BollardStrong fitting, firmly bolted to the deck, to which mooring lines are made fast. Large bollards are on quays, piers and pontoons
- General Nautical Terminology Boom
A horizontal spar used to extend the foot of a sail and control its angle to the wind.
A boom is an essential part of a sailing vessel's...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Boom OutOn a run to thrust the Genoa out to windward so that it fills with wind
- General Nautical Terminology, Weather (Meteorology) Bora
A strong, cold, and dry northeasterly katabatic wind that blows from the land to the sea, particularly along the eastern Adriatic coast.
The...
More Details - Did you know?, General Nautical Terminology Bosun
Short for boatswain, the Bosun is a senior crew member responsible for the vessel's maintenance, repair, and overall operation. The bosun...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Parts of a Boat Bow
The forward part of a vessel, designed to cut through the water and reduce resistance.
The bow of a vessel is its frontmost section, typically...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Bow Line
A rope used to secure the bow of a vessel to a dock or another fixed object.
A bow line is a critical part of a vessel's mooring system,...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Knot Bowline
A type of knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope, commonly employed in maritime settings for securing or towing.
The bowline is...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Bow Spring
A mooring line that runs diagonally from the bow of a vessel to a fixed point on a dock, used to control forward and backward movement while...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology BowspritA spar projecting from the bow used to attach the tack of some headsails, particularly asymmetric spinnakers
- Phonetic Alphabet, Signals & Communication Bravo
Pronounced: BRAH-voh
The term for the letter B in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.
- General Nautical Terminology BreakwaterA structure constructed on a coast as part of a coastal defense system or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.
- General Nautical Terminology BroachWhen a sailing vessel loses control of its motion and is forced into a sudden sharp turn, often heeling heavily and in smaller vessels sometimes... More Details
- General Nautical Terminology Broad Reach
More Details
A point of sail where the wind comes from behind the beam of the boat, typically at an angle of 90 to 160 degrees relative to the vessel's... - General Nautical Terminology Bruce Anchor
A type of claw-shaped anchor designed to provide strong holding power in a variety of seabed conditions.
The Bruce anchor, also known as...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation BTW
The direction from a vessel's current position to a predetermined navigational point or waypoint.
In marine navigation, Bearing to Waypoint is...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology BulkheadAn upright wall within the hull of a ship. Particularly a watertight, load-bearing wall.
- General Nautical Terminology BungSoftwood device for plugging holes in vessel or failed seacocks.
- General Nautical Terminology Bunk
A built-in bed or sleeping berth on a boat or ship, typically compact and designed to maximise space efficiency.
A bunk is a fundamental...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Buoy
A floating device anchored at a specific location in a body of water, used as a navigational aid, marker, or warning signal for vessels.
A...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Safety Buoyancy Aid
A personal flotation device designed to assist a person in staying afloat in water, typically used in recreational boating or water sports.
A...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Safety Buoyant Smoke Flare
A floating pyrotechnic device that emits dense, orange coloured smoke to signal distress or indicate position at sea.
A buoyant smoke flare...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology BurgeeA triangular flag worn at the masthead
- Did you know?, Nautical Saying By and Large
“By and large”—another classic sailing phrase that’s drifted into everyday English. Here’s the nautical story behind it:
⚓ Nautical Origin of...
More Details
